Gas regulating device for firearms



Feb. 22, 1949 V c. A. MOORE 2,462,119

GAS REGULATING DEVICE FOR FI REARMS Filed June 28, 1946 Patented Feb. 22, 1949 uuir o stares earar FH CE 'LGAS REGULATING DEVICE FOR FIREARMS Cyril A. Moore, Springfield, Mass, assignor-to' the United States of America as'represented by the Secretary of War Application June 28, 1946,"Serial No. 580,106

(Cl. 89l193) (Granted:under the act of. March 3,1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0." G. "757) 6. Claims.

against a movable piston and isdirected more particularly to a gas regulating device for such a firearm whereby the energy imparted by the actuating gases impinging on the piston is regulated.

Control of these explosive gases'in such a firearmis very desirable not only to allow for the fluctuation of the pressures of the escaping gases but'also to eliminate in so far as possible the inevitable accumulation of powder residue and carbon'attendantwith the actuating gases. In other wordswhen the powder residue and carbon deposit'become such that the firearm becomes fouled up so that the eficiency of the weapon is impaired, it is desirable to step up the power thereof and make it possible for an increased volume of actuating gases to'escape from the barrel so as to exert greater energy on the piston.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of this invention to provide an apparatus for controlling the energy imparted by the actuating gases of gas-operated firearms and at the same time sub stantially eliminating any accumulation of powder-residue and carbon within the gas cylinder. FOI'DHI'POSBS of convenience in description, the gas regulating means of the invention is shown as utilized ina United States Army Browning automatic rifle such as is disclosed in U. S. Patent No; 293,022 issued February 4, 1919, to John M. Browning.

.ilt is. a further object of the invention to provide a gas regulating device which is easy to assemble in the firearm and facile of removal for purposes of cleaning as is desirable and necessary from time to time. Other features are that the .device is simple in form, economical to manufacture; and requires no modification in the existing construction of the firearm with which it is to beoassociated.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodimentaszshown in the accompanying drawings in whi'ch;

Fig. 1 is a partial sectional view through the construction of the invention;

Elena is a. sectional. viewv on the line "2+2. of Fig.1)

;'Fig. 3 is a side elevational view, .partlyun section;

Fig. 4 is an end view of the adjusting member; and

Fig. 5 is a sectionaltvie w. on. the line. 5-5oi Fig. 3.

There is a gas cylinder tube 2..suit'ably. associated with a barrel 4 and a cooperating piston 5 is slidably mounted within the cylinder" 2. A gas port provided in the tube 2 is in alignment witha gas port '5 provided in the barrel 4.

There is a hollow lock-screw member I'll comprising a rear shank part It, an integral cylindrical head part i l, and an exteriorly-thread'ed portion 58 disposed between shank part It and head part It for threadedly engaging the usual threads provided in the'forward end of tube 2. A locking Washer 20 is provided intermediate said portions i8 and M and itshgreatest. diameter is slightly greater than the outside diameter of tube While the Washer'Zil may take any-de sired shape, it preferably consists of a moreor less horseshoe shaped member disposed. in asuitable annular groove 22v provided inHlock-screw member is just rearwardly of .part [4. Thus portions of the washerzllmay be bent rearwardly to engage in the notches which are usually. provided in the forward endof thetubewhereby the screw member islsecur'ely fixed in association with the gas cylinder.

There is provided a cylindrical adjustingmemher it comprising a cylindrical rear. shank, part 32 which, it will be. noted, isunthreaded and relatively smooth surfaced. This shank part .32 is provided with two or more ports radially disposed of varying diameters and, .whilein the drawings, three such ports'.3t,h36, and -38are shown communicating with flan axial hole 65 therein, it will be understood that the exact number of such ports is unlimited.

The lock screw I'll is also provided withan exterior annular groove 26 disposed rearwardly of threaded portion !8 andthere is a gasport or hole 72? which extendsinto-the grooveJB-and through to the bore of the hollowlockscrew member to. It is this port v2 which aligns with one of the ports 34, 35, and .38 ofladjustingamember so and by virture of'the groove 26 therewill -be communication with thegas port 6 in-the tube-2 as well as with the port tin-the .barrel- 4. The groove 26 makesitunnecessary..tosqualifylthe port 2'! with port 6.

The "bore. "of the. head part 4. aloqkgsqmw member I is interiorly threaded for threadedly engaging an exteriorly-threaded portion 40 of the adjusting member 30, which part 40 is in all cases located forwardly of the apertures or ports above-mentioned in the shank part 32. It is these ports that will be selectively aligned with the gas port 21 of lock screw in, and thereby, of course, communicate with the ports 6 and I of the barrel and gas cylinder by virtue of groove 26,

The forward end portion of the adjusting member 30 is enlarged to provide a hollow head portion 42 and has a knurled surface, as indicated, to facilitate rotation of the adjusting member 3% with respect to the lock screw member ID. Spring pressed means are provided to urge the adjusting member forwardly and in counteraction of the screw threads of the lock, screw and adjusting members. This may consist of a pin or plunger 54 seated in a suitable socket or recess 52 and adapted to engage in one of the recesses provided in the forward face of the head part 14, with a coil spring 53 of conventional form disposed around and suitably engaging the pin 54.

The forward face of the lock screw members head is provided with a plurality of spaced recesses therein for receiving the pin 54. In addition, the adjusting member 3! is also provided with some position-indicating means, such as spaced indentations to on the periphery of its 'head portion i2 or other easily applied markings adapted to align with similarly spaced markings 62 provided on the head part M of the lock screw member It. That is to say, as the adjusting member 3b is rotated relative to the lock screw member til, the respective markings 60 and 62 thereof may be caused to come into alignment according to the adjustment desired and these will indicate the particular port desired.

The adjustment member 36 is also provided with a gas breather orifice 65 communicating With axial hole 66 and the hole of head portion 42 to prevent excessive fouling and the accumulating of powder residue and carbon within the cylinder.

When the parts are in assembled position, the threads thereof are disposed at a distance forwardly of all of the gas-escape ports previously mentioned. As a result, the powder and carbon deposits are not so apt to foul the threads, as inevitably happens in the construction heretofore known. In addition the residual gases with this deleterious matter may escape through the breather orifice after the piston has been propelled rearwardly. Thus the construction of the invention obviates the usual frequency of removal, cleaning, and replacement of parts.

If desired, the head 42 of the adjustable member 39 may be provided with one or more recesses or holes 64 in the side or sides thereof adapted to receive an instrument (such as the end of a cartridge which is always supposed to be convenient) to be utilized as a wrench to facilitate rotation of the member. This provision is desirable for the reason that the various parts of the mechanism necessarily become quite hot after repeated firing of the weapon and are therefore difficult to handle.

I claim:

1. A gas-regulator device for a gas-operated firearm comprisin in combination. a cylindrical lock-screw member having a bore therethrough insertable in the gas-cylinder tube of the firearm and adapted to be secured therein, said lockscrew member being provided with an exterior annular groove having a gas port extending 4 radially therethrough communicating with said bore, and an adjusting member having an axial hole theretlirough rotatably and removably disposed within said bore of said lock-screw member and including a rear shank portion which is provided with a series of ports therein communicating With said axial hole, all adapted and arranged whereby said adjusting member may be rotated so thatv said ports thereof may be selectively aligned with said gas port of said lockscrew member.

2. A gas-regulating device for a gas-operated firearm comprising in combination, a cylindrical lock-screw member having a bore therethrough insertable in the gas-cylinder tube of the firearm and provided with a threaded portion whereby the same may be secured therein, said lock-screw member being formed to have an exterior annular groove and provided with a gas port extending therethrough and which is disposed rearwardly of said threaded portion and extends'radially through the grooved portion communicating'with said bore, and an adjusting member having an axial hole therethrough rotatably and removably disposed in said bore of said lock-screw member, said adjusting member including a relatively smooth surfaced rear shank portion which is providcd with a series of ports therein communieating with said axial hole, all adapted and 'arranged whereby said adjusting member may be rotated so that said ports thereof may be selectively aligned with said gas port of said lockscrew member. v v

A gas-regulating device for a gas-operated firearm comprising in combination, a cylindrical lock-screw member with a bore therethrough insertable in the gas-cylinder tube of the firearm and arranged to be secured therein, said lockscrew member including a forward end portion provided with internal screw-threads and a' rear end portion which is provided with a gas port in its side leading into said bore thereof, and an adjusting member with an axial hole therethrough including an intermediate portion threadably engaged within said forward end portion of said lock-screw member so as to be rotatable relative thereto and an'integral rear end portion which extends into said bore of said rear end portion, said rear end portion :of the adjusting member being provided with a plurality of spaced ports leading into said axial hole for selectively communicating with said gas port of said lockscrew member.

4-. A gas-regulating device for a gas-operated firearm comprisingv in combination, a cylindrical lock-screw member with a bore therethrough threadably engaged within the forward-end portion of the gas-cylinder tube of the firearm and provided with a radial gas port located at a distance rearwardly of the threads thereof, and an adjusting member with an axial hole therethrough removably disposed within said lockscrew member including a forwardly disposed portion. which is threadedly engaged with the forward end portion thereof so as to permit rotation of the members relative to one another and a rearwardly disposed portion which is pro-- vided with a plurality of spaced ports leading into said axial hole adapted to be selectively aligned with said. gas port according to the degree of rotation of said adjusting member relative to said lock-screw member.

5. A gas-regulating device for a gas-operated firearm comprising in combination, a cylindrical lock-screw member having a bore therethrough arranged to be threaded into the forward end portion of the gas-cylinder tube of the firearm and having a grooved portion therein located rearwardly of the threads thereof,'said grooved portion being provided with a gas-escape port in a side thereof leading into said bore, and an adjusting member having an axial hole therethrough removably disposed within said lockscrew member and including a rear end portion of relatively reduced diameter and an intermediate portion which is exteriorly threaded and a forward end portion, said intermediate portion being threadedly engaged in said lock-screw member, said forward end portion being arranged to facilitate a relative rotation of the members, said rear end portion being relatively smoothsuriaced and provided with a plurality of spaced ports leading into said axial hole adapted to be selectively aligned with said gas-escape port.

6. A gas-regulating device for a gas-operated firearm comprising in combination, a cylindrical lock-screw member having a bore therethrough insertable in the gas cylinder tube of the firearm and provided with a threaded portion whereby the same may be secured therein, said lockscrew member being formed to have an exterior annular groove and provided with a gas port extending therethrough and which is disposed rearwardly of said threaded portion and extends radially through the groove portion communi-- eating with said bore, and'an adjusting member rotatably and removably disposed in said bore of said lock-screw member, said adjusting member being provided with an axial hole therethrough terminating in a restricted orifice in the (forward end thereof to permit powder residue and carbon attendant with actuating gases to escape there- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,388,879 Nelson Aug. 30, 1921 1,738,501 Moore Dec. 3, 1929 2,409,225 Schaich Oct. 15, 1946 

